Recent developments at the Atomic Weapons Establishment

Recent developments at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Standard Note: SN/IA/05024 Last updated: 24 March 2009 Author: Stephen Jones Section: International Affairs and Defence Section In July 2005 the Government announced a new programme of investment for the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston, where the UK's nuclear warheads are built and maintained. Specific programmes include the development of a new laser facility, known as ORION, and a replacement hydrodynamics testing facility. The Government says the new facilities are required to ensure the safety and reliability of the existing stockpile and to ensure the UK has the capacity, if required, to develop a replacement warhead in the future. It says the current warhead design deployed on the UK's Trident ballistic missile submarines is likely to last into the 2020s, and that decisions on whether to refurbish or replace the existing stockpile are likely to be necessary in the next Parliament. This note provides details on the new investment programme and looks at the ORION laser and replacement hydrodynamics testing facilities. It also examines some of the issues raised by anti-nuclear campaigners. In addition, it analyses the new ownership arrangements at AWE Management Ltd (AWEML), the consortium which manages AWE on behalf of the government, which resulted from the decision by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) to sell their one-third stake in AWEML to the US-based Jacobs Engineering Group on 18 December 2008.